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In a shock move following President Ruto’s claim of good progress in restoring law and order with the 400 police now in Haiti, Kenya has now agreed to commit to sending an additional 600 police officers to Haiti in the coming weeks to assist in combating gangs that dominate much of Port-au-Prince and surrounding regions.
This would take the total number of Kenyans law enforcement officers in Haiti up to 1000.
During his visit to Haiti, Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his backing for transforming the current Kenya-led security mission into a full-fledged United Nations peacekeeping operation.
Several other countries have also pledged a combined total of at least 1,900 additional troops. 24 from Jamaica arrived last week, but the largest contingent is expected from french-speaking Benin.
Despite these efforts, violence remains rampant in Haiti, with a UN human rights expert warning that gangs are expanding their reach into new areas, leading to further displacement of residents.
The UN Security Council is due to meet by the end of the month to decide whether to renew Kenya’s current mandate for another 12 months, paving the way for a full UN mission in 2025.
This would lead to increased funding and resources for the operation, which has been hampered by a lack of equipment.Addressing the Kenyan police officers at their base in Port-au-Prince, President Ruto commended the force for their successes over the last few months.
“There are many people who thought Haiti was mission impossible, but today they have changed their minds because of the progress you have made.”
He said they would succeed against the gangs and he promised to try to get them better equipment.
The nearly 400 Kenyan officers on the ground were going out on patrol “working hand-in-hand with Haitian forces to protect the people and restore security”, Ruto said.
“Our next batch, an additional 600, is undergoing redeployment training. We will be mission-ready in a few weeks’ time and look forward to the requisite support to enable their deployment,” he added.
But there has been some criticism in Haiti at the lack of a decisive move against the gangs.
A UN human rights expert who has just been there said the mission was inadequately equipped and needed helicopters, as well as night vision goggles and drones.
“The Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), authorised by the UN Security Council in October 2023, has so far deployed less than a quarter of its planned contingent,” William O’Neil said on Friday.
Despite an international embargo, arms and ammunition continued to be smuggled into the country, enabling gangs to expand their control into new areas, he noted.
The UN expert visited the southeastern region of Haiti, where he reported that the police lacked both the logistical and technical capabilities to effectively combat the gangs.
He quoted a police officer in Jérémie who described the dire situation: “The situation is nearly impossible. We have to learn to walk on water.”
Mr. O’Neil further highlighted a sharp rise in sexual violence, with more than 700,000 people now displaced.
“This enduring agony must stop. It is a race against time.”
He said the solutions already existed, but efforts had to be “redoubled immediately”.
“It is crucial to stifle the gangs by giving the MSS Mission the means to be effective in supporting the operations of the Haitian National Police, as well as to implement the other measures provided for by the United Nations Security Council, including the sanctions regime and the targeted arms embargo.”
Sources: BBC, VOA, UN.
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